Process for sinking shafts



Nov. 7, 1939. A A..H1 R|NEY ET AL -2'179207'7 I PROCESS FOR SINKING SHAFTS Filed Dec. 20, 1937 o I BY RON `JOHNSON J O 2%@5 uw r l v TTo NEYS.

Patented Nev. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR SINKING SHAFTS Arthur H. Riney and Myron 0. Johnson, Bartlesville, Okla., assgnors to Phillips Petroleum' Company, a. corporatiomof Delaware .application December zo, 1937, seriaiNo. 130,903

1 Claim. (Cl. 611-40) The present invention relates to a method of sinking a shaft through formations containing gas, oil or water by cementing off the formations in the region surrounding the shaft. The method is especially applicable to -the Asinking of shaftsA Y 'through formations encountered in mining for oil, b ut also has many other applications.l

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a means Whereby'the inow of Water from thel water bearing strata and gas from the gas bearing strata can be checked and held under control so that the excavation can proceed. When sinking a shaft into the ground for any purpose, it sometimes happens that the shaft is inundated by an l uncontrollable flow of gas and/or water'from a gas or water bearing strata which is encountered. When this happens the shaft must either be abandoned or excavation continued at considerable expense. B0 This method aims to eliminate the problem set forth above4 by providing an inexpensive and effective means whereby a cement barrier can be formed around the "shaft or excavation at the zone where it is intersected by the gas and/or 25 Water bearing strata, thereby cutting off theexcess ow of water and/or gas. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide' a method whereby the cementing medium introduced into the formation can build up to a greater $0 thickness and thus .form a better and more .du-

rable seal.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a method whereby the thickness of the protecting wall around the shaft, as formed by the $5 cementing medium introduced into'the formation, can be controlled and thus assure a seal of the necessary strength to hold the water or gas from entering the shaft.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- 40 vide a method whereby the cementing medium is introduced into the formation out of line with the main shaft passage, eliminating the necessity of stopping the sinking of the shaft'while the ceinenting is in progress.

a In the accompanying drawing, forming'l a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employ d to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a. vertical sectional view through a.

50 partially excavated shaft showing the manner in which the process is utilized to seal a water or gas bearing strata-which is encountered when sinking the shaft.

1 shaft.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the bottomof the Fig. .3 is a. vertical sectional view of another. method employed.

Fig.` 4 is a plan ,view showing the bottom of the jshaft disclosed in Fig. 3. Y

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a set of -drill holes il- 6 lustrating the general. principle involved in the method herein described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing .shaft A has been sunk through formation B to a point near a formation C-containing a gas or fluid. At a suitable distance above C, operations in sinking :the shaft are'discontinued and holes X and Y are drilled from the bottom of shaft A into and through formation C at suitable angles so that the holes will pass through the formation C outside the limits of the shaft as it will be extended. The holes X and Y are drilled around the outer edge Aof the Abottom ofthe shaft in rows. The outer and inner rows of holes X are for venting and the middle row Y is for the admission of cementing fluid to the formation C. Cementing fluid is pumped through holes Y into formation C and o at the same time pressure is relieved through holes X. The cementing iiuid is thus caused to flow from holes Y toward holes X, forming a solid $5 wall D around thearea through which the shaft will be sunk. By varying the angle, with the vertical, of holes X, the thickness of this wall can be controlled. The cementing fluid is pumped into mes Y untu it rises in holes x. when the a0 cementing uid D has set, or when it has -sealed oi the gas or uid in formation C, holes Z are y drilled into the area through which the shaft is to be extended, to determine where there is any gas or iluid pressure remaining in the area, and to $5 v exhaust the gas or fluid before mining operations or the extending of the'shaft is continued.

In Fig. 3, shaftA' has been sunk in form tion B' to a point near the formation C' which ontains gas or 'uid under pressure. When the s aft D I A is at a suitable distance from formation `C',l chamber'E' is excavated inthe sidesof shaft A',

A .of sufiicientsize that drilling can becarried on in the chamber. From theifloor F' of the chamber E' holes X( and Y' ar`e\ then drilled into and 45 through formation C' while the sinking of shaft A' continues unaffected by the drilling. When holes X and Y' are completed, cementing uid is pumped into holes Y' and pressure is relieved through holes X', one hole at a time 'or simul- 60 taneouly, the same las described for Fig. 1, thus .causing the cementing uid to owgf'gom holes Y', through the formation'C' where it builds up to form a barrier and then back through X'. The

holes X' can be drilled at an angle with the verl" ,2 and X' and Y' tical which will cause a wall of cement to be formed of any desired thickness in formation C', this Wall beingl outside of the area through which the shaft is to be sunk. By the use ,of this l method gas or uid bearing formations can be fluid in formation C', holes Z' aredrilled into the area through which the shaft is to be sunk, to determine whether the pressure on the area. has

been relieved, and to exhaust the gas or uid from the same. 4

The arrangement of the holes X and Y in Eig.

only requirement as to arrangement being that the principle shownin Fig. 5 be used. In Fig.`5, cementing fluid is pumped into the hole L and pressure is relieved through surrounding holes M, either on one hole at a time or on all holes s imultaneously causing the cementing uid to flow from hole L toward holes M. 'I'he holes in Figs. 2 and @can be arranged in any manner to use this principle.

The holes X, X' and M can be vented to the surface by suitable lines in shaft A or A to keep gas or uid from entering shaft A or A', or traps for catching fluid from holes X, X' and M can be provided. The holes Z and Z can also be vented to the surface by suitable lines in shaft A or A'.

In either the method shown in Figs. 1 or arboles' X and Y and X and Y respectively can be used :for the introduction of various iiuids for treating formations C and C before the introduction of in Fig. 4 is only suggestive, the

the cementing fluid. Such treatment may be used for removing petroleum products from the same to increase the bond obtained by the cementing uid when introduced, for increasing the porosity of the formation to aid the ow of the cement fluid, or for otherwise conditioning the formation.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention, herewith shownand described. is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and

.that various changes of arrangements of parts may be resorted to, without' departing from the spirit of our invention, or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus. described our invention, we claim: In the art of sinking shafts, the process of sealing off 'a gas or water bearing strata which con-v sists in boringholes which extend downwardly from'the shaft through the strata andare 4arranged in two or more series around the shaft, -filling one of the series of holes with a cementing iuid under pressure whereby it is caused to percolateinto the gas or water bearing strata to form a cemented barrier around the periphery of the shaft allowing the other series of holes to vent gas or water coming from the strata, forcing the cementing fluid into the strata until the cementing fluid returns to the shaft through'the. other series of holes, controlling the size of .the barrier of cemented material being built up in the strata, by the distance the series of holes are spaced apart, and boring vent holes through, the bottom of the shaft to vent that portion of the gas or water bearing strata which has been sealed off before drilling is resumed.

. Y v ARTHUR H. RIINEY.

MYRQON O. JOHNSON. 

